FEED ADDITIVES ▶▶▶
Supplementary feeding: Enhancing piglet gut health
Finding the right composition for piglet feed is not always an easy job. In light of tightening legislation, it is sometimes hard to make the right choice, as the range of additives and ingredients appears endless. This comprehensive overview could be a start.
BY DR SAMANEH AZARPAJOUH, INDEPENDENT RESEARCHER, USA T
he pig gut is home to a dynamic microbial popula- tion creating a complex ecosystem that has a symbi- otic relationship with the host. This microbial popu- lation, also known as gut microbiota, has a profound
impact on the host’s health and is referred to as a forgotten organ. Gut microbiota are essential to maintaining nutrition- al, physiological and immunological functions of the pig. Dis- turbances in the gut microbial ecosystem during pig rearing can dramatically increase risk of disease. To meet production goals in today’s intensive swine farming, piglets are weaned before a stable gut microbial population is established. Furthermore, low feed intake and stressors and challenges associated with weaning affect gut structure and function, disrupt the gut microbial ecosystem, compromise gut health and enhance piglet susceptibility to bacterial post-weaning diarrhoea. Providing supplemental feed pre- and post-weaning increases dry matter intake, enhances weaning weight, reduces the severity of the growth check post-weaning and improves post-weaning performance through the stimulation of digestive enzymes associated with carbohydrate and protein digestion, and through tolerance to antigens present in the diets fed after weaning.
What are gut microbiota? Gut microbiota are micro-organisms, including bacteria and other single-celled organisms, that live in the digestive tracts of animals. The gut microbiota has numerous roles benefiting the host, such as digestion and fermentation of carbohy- drates, production of vitamins, maintenance of normal func- tions of the intestinal villi, regulation of immune responses and protection from pathogenic bacteria. Density and diver- sity of gut microbiota is distinct in different intestinal tract re- gions such as the jejunum, ileum and cecum and in various growing periods from early life to adult. Levels and sources of
18 ▶ ALL ABOUT FEED | Volume 30, No. 3, 2022
proteins or fibres shape the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota in weaning piglets.
Factors affecting gut microbiota Several factors affect the diversity and activity of the gut mi- crobiota, including colonisation and associated succession of microbial populations, the age of the pig and the environ- ment it inhabits, antimicrobial agents, dietary composition, supplemental feed, feed processing, feeding methods, dis- ease load, weaning, season, environment, stress and genetics.
Weaning as a critical part of pig life In the modern swine industry, weaning occurs at around three to four weeks of age. It is a stressful and complex event char- acterised by changes in diet and social and environmental life conditions. Weaning profoundly impacts piglet health and may lead to decreased performance and sometimes mortality. Social and environmental stresses due to weaning are gener- ated by separation from the mother, handling, transport, dif- ferent physical environments and mixing litters, which in turn contribute to local inflammation in the piglet’s gut.
Restoring gut microbial balance The nutritional components of pig diets can be adjusted us- ing various feed additives to restore gut microbial balance as- sociated with weaning transition in piglets. Some feed addi- tives to restore gut microbial balance are discussed in the next section.
Zinc oxide Zinc oxide is one of the most effective feed additives with an- timicrobial properties that is used to fight against post-wean- ing infections. However, high levels of zinc oxide can nega- tively impact pig health due to the accumulation of zinc in the liver, pancreas and kidney. Furthermore, from July 2022, European Union legislation limits the use of zinc oxide in ani- mal production to a maximum of 150 mg/kg because of suspected environmental pollution.
Essential oils Essential oils are complex mixtures of volatile organic com- pounds obtained from many diverse plants with antimicrobi- al, antioxidant or antiviral properties. The supplementation of piglet diets with essential oils has been associated with an
PHOTO: HENK RISWICK
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
